Blue Plague Survival

by Watson, Thomas A

  Conner raised his hand and Bruce nodded to him. “Why can’t I be on one of the teams?” he asked.

  “You are not ready to ride like I need you to. Everyone here has thousands of hours on horseback, plus they’ve all hunted from horseback. We’ll be moving fast and the horses will be jumping, I would really like to keep you around,” Bruce informed Conner and he agreed with Bruce.

  Bruce looked around for more questions as Bill asked from the den, “Why not just go and get the team with the vehicles?”

  “The blues will follow us back. The blues are calling other blues to the site like they’re bringing in reinforcements. I don’t want them to follow us back here. Then we would have to go into the woods on foot to wipe them out. In close proximity and in numbers they have the edge, brute force. We have to fight on our terms, unless we have no alternative,” Bruce replied waiting on other questions and when none came, he continued.

  “Mike, I want you to get four people plus Bill to act as a defense team here at the farm. Everything else moves forward people, we have to get this place ready. Now teams will meet at the barn at 0800. Get your gear and let’s go hunting,” Bruce told everyone, then leaned over to Stephanie pulling out the plastic bag with several flash drives.

  “Stephanie, I need you to go over this for me. It’s about how to refine oil and a schematic for a small scale refinery. See if I’m at least close with what I have, ok. Will you do that for me?” Bruce asked her.

  “You know I will Bruce. You don’t even have to ask, just tell me what you want me to do,” Stephanie told him taking the plastic bag away from PJ. Bruce kissed her on the cheek and headed to the basement to grab two SAW’s for him and Steve. Those not going out on patrol went to work as the teams went to grab gear and ammo.

  Bruce met the teams and found someone had already pulled the horses to the barn. Buffy was just looking up at his horse Nightmare with wide eyes. Nightmare was looking at Buffy waiting for her to do something, like give him a treat. Nightmare lowered his head to smell Buffy to see if he could find the treats. Bruce walked up to Buffy and Nightmare.

  “He is lookin’ for treats,” Bruce told Buffy handing her a carrot. Buffy held the carrot in the palm of her hand like she was taught and Nightmare ate it in one bite. Buffy reached up and petted his head while he chewed the carrot.

  Bruce walked over to Steve giving him one of the SAW’s and a thousand rounds. “Only use it when they attack in groups and take out their legs,” Bruce told him.

  “I got it dad,” Steve said as he put on his saddle. Then he turned to Bruce saying, “Who would have dreamed we would be using assault weapons from horseback?”

  “Not me,” Bruce admitted as he went to saddle Nightmare.

  When Bruce finished, he turned to Buffy. “We’ll put your M-4 in the saddle holster. Keep your P90 across your chest. You’ll be driving Nightmare and he’s not like the horse you’ve ridden. He is gentle but wants to play a lot so hold the reins tight. I’m tying you to me with a belt so you won’t fall off,” Bruce told Buffy as he lifted her onto the saddle giving her the reins. Buffy just nodded at him.

  Once everyone was mounted Bruce climbed into his saddle and put a belt through the back of her vest and through the front of his. Bruce had his SCAR on his right side with the SAW across his back.

  “Let’s go,” Bruce said as he squeezed his legs and Buffy steering Nightmare to the front gate. When they were on the road Bruce radioed Mike.

  “Which side has the fewest?” Bruce asked.

  “The east side,” Mike called back.

  “Call the hunt team and tell them they are not to shoot toward the east at all,” Bruce told him.

  “Already did that. I told the team leader I would call out directions he could not shoot in. Who do you think you left in charge?” Mike snapped back.

  “Sorry boss,” Bruce called back as he kicked Nightmare into a trot.

  When the group was less than two miles away, they could hear the roars ahead of them, Bruce told Buffy to stop. Bruce pulled out his map before leading the team toward the house. The house sat in a field off the highway with trees several hundred yards away in any direction.

  There was a field to the east side behind the blues, but he would have to move through a mile of trees to engage the blues. Bruce headed to the field taking dirt roads and logging trails forming his plan of attack. When they reached the field, he called everyone close.

  “Alright I’m going to stir up trouble. Team two, form a firing line here directly across from the tree line and mow them down when they come out. This field is about a hundred and fifty yards across and two miles long, just watch your flanks. Team one will form up on the north side of the field. This’ll put us in an L shaped ambush. Once the blues get within twenty yards we head north to the crossroad and will set up again. Let me tell all of y’all, if you fall off your horse you’ll probably die. If you fall, call out fast. The closest person is to grab you and the attack is off. We leave then head back to the farm and I’ll call out the back up force. Please don’t shoot me when I come out. I will not be able to get Nightmare to run in the woods but we’ll be able to gallop. The horses move faster in the woods than the blues can. Once I hit the field, I’m heading to my team. Team two, it’s your job to keep my ass clear until I join my team,” Bruce told them.

  They all said they understood and Bruce headed to the tree line on the other side of the field as Mike came over the radio. “Bruce, the trees there have a large canopy. We’re only catching glimpse of the blues. I won’t be able to tell you how close you are,” Mike said.

  “We’re good. Just don’t let the blues circle the ambush site,” Bruce said reaching the far fence then kicked Nightmare into a run. As they reached the fence Bruce squeezed his knees telling Nightmare to jump.

  Nightmare leaped into the air clearing the fence and landing on the other side, Buffy pulled back on the reins slowing him down. Nightmare shook his head snorting about having to stop. Bruce leaned forward to whisper to Buffy.

  “That was good BB. Now wrap the reins around your wrist. If we need to jump something, yell at me so I can signal Nightmare to jump. When we find the blues, we are going to have to move fast. Watch the ground for holes and logs. If we lose our ride, we can’t climb a tree that fast. When we find them turn Nightmare around. Don’t wait for me to tell you, I’m liable to be busy. Try to take the path out that we take in,” Bruce told her.

  Buffy looked back wrapping the reins around her wrist and said, “Don’t worry Daddy, I got this.”

  Buffy guided the horse through the trees. About a hundred yards in the smell hit them like a hammer. Nightmare let out a snort and Bruce leaned forward slapping his neck to let him know to be quiet. They continued at a walk and the roars were getting closer. Bruce could feel Nightmare tighten up under him the closer they got to the roars.

  A blue jumped out from behind a tree ten yards to his right letting out a roar. Nightmare reared up neighing. Bruce kicked his feet to get the horse down as he lowered his weapon flipping the switch to full auto. Just when his sight rested on the blue, Nightmare’s front feet hit the ground and Buffy wheeled away from the blue heading back to the field.

  Bruce squeezed the trigger sending half a dozen rounds into the dirt behind the blue who was now charging. Bruce swung around in the saddle to shoot the blue. As his rifle came across he just squeezed the trigger seeing the blue less than five yards from them. The first rounds hit the blue in the shoulder turning him and Bruce walked the impacts across his chest up to his head. When the first round hit the blue in the face, Nightmare jumped forward into a run catching Bruce off guard. Bruce fell backwards pulling Buffy back and causing her to pull the reins stopping the horse.

  The blue dropped beside the horse as Bruce scooted back into the saddle and Buffy started kicking Nightmare to go. Through the trees behind them, Bruce could see blues moving through the trees toward them. He changed magazines dropping the empty one into a canvas feed bag on the s
addle.

  Nobody had told Nightmare that he couldn’t run full speed through the woods because he was weaving in and out through the trees, almost taking Bruce’s arm off on one. Just as Bruce was getting ready to tell Buffy to slow down, a blue jumped out in front of them. Nightmare never slowed and just plowed over it churning the body under his hooves.

  “Slow down some Buffy,” Bruce yelled.

  “I can’t, I’m pulling back on the reins and your stupid horse isn’t listening,” Buffy yelled back as a branch hit her in the face.

  Bruce leaned to the side and saw nightmare had the bit in his teeth. Bruce reached around with his left hand to yank the bit out of his teeth and saw the fence fast approaching. When Nightmare was within five feet, Bruce squeezed his knees praying that the stupid horse would listen.

  Nightmare felt the command and leaped into the air. They cleared the barbwire fence by five feet and flew another twenty. Nightmare landed and continued in a full gallop churning up huge clumps of dirt, throwing them up in the air.

  Bruce yanked the reins pulling the bit out of the horses teeth making him slow down. Buffy turned to their team now that she had control again. Bruce turned around in the saddle and saw blues jumping the fence behind them. He raised big SCAR and fired off a grenade. The grenade did not hit anything but it did make the blues pause, letting them open up the distance.

  Half way across the field, Bruce heard team two open up as he reloaded another grenade. Buffy lead Nightmare to the end of the line their team had formed and spun the horse around. They were turning around when the rest of his team opened up on the blues pouring out of the tree line.

  Once Bruce was facing the field he was reminded of the World War One movies of the troops running at the machine gun nest. The field was covered with blues running at both lines. He raised his rifle up switching to burst and started working with those closest to him yelling for Buffy to watch the sides.

  Feeling his bolt lock, Bruce just dropped the magazine ramming in another one. Lining up the site, he started squeezing off burst. He yelled for Buffy to call over the radio to tell everyone not to worry about keeping the empty magazines now. Bruce dropped another magazine replaced it and raised the rifle up. He saw a group of ten close together heading toward them and squeezed the trigger on the 203 putting a grenade right in front of them. Those in the front fell making those behind trip over them.

  Bruce started squeezing off burst at the closest blues who were now less than fifty yards away, but he did not see more coming out of the tree line. Bruce just kept dropping empty magazines and firing until he had no more targets. Jake in the middle of the line was still shooting the wounded blues in the field.

  Unbuckling from Buffy, Bruce dropped to the ground picking up magazines not remembering firing that many. Bruce put them in his bag and moved to each person and did the same for them as Mike came over the radio.

  “You have really pissed ‘em off now. The south and west groups are attacking the hunting team, but the north side is coming for you. The front edge will be to you in a few minutes. It’s at least double what you just took out,” Mike told him.

  “Will they come out in the same area?” Bruce asked as he finished picking up the last of the magazines.

  “No, this group will come out even with your group,” Mike said as Bruce jumped back behind Buffy buckling her to him.

  “Team one spread out in a forward firing line. Team two, swing down in a slanted firing line. We’ll just reverse the L,” Bruce told the group.

  Bruce dropped big SCAR letting it hang by its sling as he pulled the SAW off his back. He grabbed another two hundred round belted box and sat it in front of Buffy. Buffy turned around undoing the belt looking at Bruce, “Let me get behind you Daddy. I’m going to sit looking backwards so they can’t come behind us.”

  Before Bruce could answer, Buffy was sliding around behind him feeding the belt through the back of his vest attaching herself to him. Bruce just grabbed the reins as Mike called out the distance over the radio. Then he yelled ten seconds.

  Bruce looked at the tree line to see blues jumping the fence in a dead run. He raised the SAW and started firing low to clip the legs. The blues started falling as the bullets hit their legs. They did get back up but they were not running. Feeling the bolt slam forward, Bruce opened the feed tray, pulled the bolt back and placed in another two hundred round belt. He slammed the cover down and continued firing again as he heard Buffy start to fire her submachine gun from behind him then yell over the radio.

  “Mama behind you!” Buffy screamed.

  Glancing at the other team fifty yards away, Bruce saw four blues coming across the road behind them. One member of team two turned to take out the rear attack and Bruce turned back around and opened up on the advancing blues coming across the field.

  Bruce felt Buffy moving behind him and he yelled, “Are more coming from behind us?”

  “No,” she yelled back still moving.

  “Be still you’re throwing my aim off,” Bruce yelled at her.

  “I’m getting a real gun damn it, screw this little one,” Buffy yelled out trying to pull out her M-4 from the scabbard on the saddle.

  Bruce reached down undoing the weapon for her and Buffy pulled it out. Letting her P90 hang from its sling, Buffy raised her M-4 up looking for targets. Bruce settled down to reengage the blues in the field as he heard Buffy open up with the M-4. Bruce turned around watching a naked blue woman drop thirty yards behind them.

  Buffy yelled at him, “Quit moving, these are mine back here, you shoot your own.”

  Mike called over the radio, “More coming from behind you, looks like about twenty.”

  Bruce hit the voice switch and opened up on the blues in the field. “Thanks for the hot tip. How did ya miss those?” Bruce asked taking out the legs of the runners.

  Mike did not reply back as Bruce put another belt in the SAW and started firing again. Behind him Bruce could hear Buffy yelling at the blues coming out of the tree line behind them. When the SAW ran dry, Bruce opened the cover.

  “Buffy you need help?” Bruce asked her as he put in another belt.

  Buffy hit the voice button on her radio and continued to fire, “I got these bitches Daddy.”

  Bruce could not help but chuckle as he closed the feed cover. Smoke was pouring off the barrel as he raised the SAW up and started firing. Bruce said a little prayer that the barrel would not over heat as he swung it back and forth.

  When the bolt locked back Bruce lowered the SAW setting it across the saddle so it would not touch the horse or him. He lifted big SCAR to his shoulder but did not see anything coming toward them. He looked down at the SAW and the suppressor was a dull cherry red. Bruce held his hand over it and he could feel the heat through his tactical gloves. Reaching into his thigh pocket, Bruce pulled out a barrel mitten. Putting it on over his glove, he unscrewed the suppressor letting it fall to the ground. The suppressor was aluminum and he didn’t want it fusing to the barrel. ‘That will teach me to make aluminum suppressors, trying to save weight,’ Bruce thought.

  “Steve, if you used the SAW a lot, take off the suppressor and just drop it,” Bruce told Steve over the radio as he heard from behind him.

  “Your mama likes it like that butt munchers,” Buffy yelled.

  Bruce laughed, “Danny, gather magazines.” Then looking over his shoulder he asked Buffy, “Where did you hear that from Buffy?”

  “From you,” Buffy replied changing magazines.

  “When did I say that?” Bruce asked changing barrels on the SAW.

  “Just a few minutes ago,” she replied.

  “Buffy, I was shootin’ not yelling,” Bruce told her.

  Mike came over the radio, “Like hell, I had to ask some people to leave mission control with the words you were using. It’d no sooner come out of your mouth then she was repeating it.”

  Debbie spoke up next, “He’s right Bruce I didn’t hear everything because I was yelling too.”
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br />   Bruce turned the voice switch off and keyed his radio, “Team two, come down here. Jake and Nancy head out into the field and take out any still moving. We need to reload magazines.” Bruce told Buffy to turn off her voice switch.

  He and Buffy climbed off and started loading magazines. When the others came over they all got off and joined. In fifteen minutes they all mounted back up and went to help Nancy and Jake. In the direction of the hunt team they heard an explosion followed by another.

  “What’s happing over there?” Bruce asked Mike.

  “They had several get real close and used hand grenades to take them out. The blues are pulling back,” Mike reported.

  “Keep an eye on ‘em, I want to know where they go,” Bruce said heading out into the field shooting surviving blues.

  “Hey, let me shoot some,” Buffy complained from behind him.

  Bruce complied leading the horse past some that were trying to crawl off. After clearing the field Bruce told everyone to meet him in the middle of the field. Bruce told Buffy to unbuckle and get off. Then Bruce slid off stomping his feet and rubbing his butt. Bruce looked up as Jake rode over and climbed off.

  Bruce smiled as he looked at his sons face. He was on the wave. Jake had a small grin on his face. Snipers could ride the wave as few others could. They very rarely faced the anger and guilt with the way they detached themselves so they could shoot. Bruce always envied them of that and they could ride the wave longer than anyone. Bruce walked over to him.

  “It’s good isn’t it?” Bruce asked Jake. Jake just looked at him not understanding. “You’re on the wave son,” Bruce told him.

  Jake nodded and his grin broadened, “This is great dad. From the back of a horse I took out sixty four with seventy shots. My weapon felt like it was part of me.” Jake told Bruce as he just looked around as if he was seeing the world for the first time. “How long does it last,” Jake asked.